Leave out one or two distinguishing marks or characteristics—a
floppy ear, a stubby tail, a missing canine tooth, one blue eye),
so you can determine whether someone claiming to have found your
pet actually has.

Do not put your name or address on the flyer.

Include your telephone number on the flyer – a cell phone number
works best, in case you have to be away from home.

Offer a reward, but withhold the amount.

Post as many flyers as possible within a one to two mile radius of
where your pet was lost. At eye level in stores and offices; at
waist level on telephone poles and street signs to be visible to
people in cars.

Replace any damaged or missing flyers and take flyers down when you
find your pet.

Call the animal shelter and fill out a lost
report. Also fill out lost reports at shelters in
surrounding jurisdictions.

Visit local shelters often—every day or two—to look for your pet.
First visit the stray and adoption rooms and if you do not see your
pet, ask to be taken to the back to view animals that may be sick
or injured. Remember that your description may not match someone
else’s description of your pet, so in-person visits are important.

Provide the shelter with a flyer (information and a photo of your
pet) in case your pet is turned into the shelter.

Virginia law requires municipal shelters to hold animals for five
days if found without a collar; 10 days if found with a collar. Do
not depend on a shelter to hold your lost pet indefinitely. (Most
shelters charge a daily impoundment fee, so it is in your best
interest to learn whether your pet is in the shelter sooner rather
than later.)

If a shelter calls to inform you they may have found your pet,
visit in person to confirm.

Always search for a missing pet with another person or a group of
people you know and trust, especially at night. Always respond to a
found pet call by taking someone with you and by meeting in a
public place.

Never tell the person where you live or invite them into your home.

Do not give a reward to someone who claims to have your pet until
you have the pet back safely with you. The identifying information
you purposefully withheld from your flyer/ad will be helpful in
determining if a claim is legitimate.

Do not allow yourself by being tricked by a money scam. Do not
trust someone who claims to have your pet but requires money to
ship it back to you.

Don’t forget to call and/or post flyers at emergency veterinary
clinics in case your pet is found sick or injured. If a veterinary
clinic calls to inform you that they may have found your pet, visit
in person to confirm.